EAT: A SAVORY VIETMANESE CREPE IN HARLEM
Harlem Bespoke: We stopped by for lunch at the The Expat on Tiemann Place by West 125th Street and Broadway recently to try out the Bánh xèo which is a crispy Vietnamese crepe that is somewhere between a french pancake dish mixed in with a savory taco and completely another level of culinary experience
Bánh xèo translates to sizzle cake in Vietnamese since the bright turmeric batter thickened with coconut cream makes a lot noise while being prepared in the frying pan. We had ours stuffed with jumbo shrimp since this is the more original recipe for the popular South East Asian dish but The Expat lets everyone choose other protein options. Other ingredients found within include bean sprouts and starchy mung beans along with fresh sprinkle of herbs on top to finish the presentation. Pork is also a main ingredient for the traditional preparation but is missing here. Pour the savory sweet fish sauce over everything before digging in and enjoy. For more on The Expat, check out our past post: LINK